Marking devices



SePtl, 1959 s. Go'r'rscHo Erm.` 2,901,972

MARKING DEVICES Original Filed May 2 1. 1953 a4 m l (lo 1T d N u sz l faz 72 'if .l gti :tlmp 7 j; f90 k f .a M f W v n um u. /4894 i fosa Q 7 fd V 7/ I" uji. Y dim., 19

1 il J 1 JNVENTORS.

United States Patent MARKING DEVICES Ira S. Gottscho, Milburn, NJ., Malcolm Hirschey, Woodside, N.Y., and Andrew J. Alessi, Jr., Colonia, NJ., assignors to Adolph Gottscho, Inc., Hillside, NJ., a corporation of New York Original application May 21, 1953, Serial No. 356,374,

now Patent No. 2,834,285, dated May 13, 1958. Divided and this application January 21, 1958, Serial No. 713,518 l 4 Claims. (Cl. 101-356) The present invention relates generally to marking devices and is particularly directed to an inking mechanism for marking devices for marking the surface of each of a succession of rectangular cartons, containers or articles and the like as they are conveyed along a straight path.

This application is a division of our application Serial No. 356,374 led May 21, 1953, now Patent No. 2,834,285 issued May 13, 1958.

In marking devices of the described character, an inking mechanism is provided for supplying ink to a marking element carried on the periphery of a marking roller whereby an inked impression of the marking element is transferred to the article to be marked. The inking mechanism generally comprises an ink well containing ink, and a felt pad disposed on the exterior of the well. The wall of the well is provided with apertures through which the ink is fed from the well to the pad.

In such constructions, the ink flows uncontrolled to the pad whereby when the marking device is inoperative the pad may become saturated to an undesired extent resulting in the spilling of ink during rest periods and in blurring of the inked impression on the article when the device is again operated.

It is an object of the present invention -to provide a marking device which applies an inked impression to the surfaces of successive articles, having an inking mechanism wherein the supply of ink to the marking element is interrupted when the marking device is inoperative whereby to avoid spilling of the ink during rest periods and the resulting blurring of the inked impression on the marked article upon subsequent operation of the marking device.

The foregoing, and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are achieved by providing a swingable support arm pivotally mounted at one end on a vertical pivot which is supported at one side of a conveyor path and is adjustable vertically and transversely relative to the conveyor path. The support arm is yieldably urged to swing in the direction toward the conveyor path and at its free end carries a rotatable marking unit frame. The marking unit frame has a marking wheel rotatably mounted thereon so that a portion of the periphery of the marking wheel extends into the path of the conveyed articles. As the marking wheel is rotated, either by frictional contact thereof with the carton to be marked or by a positive drive from the conveyor carrying the carton, the marking wheel comes into rolling and marking contact with the adjacent surface of the carton to apply marking thereto. A return mechanism is associated with the marking wheel and actsrto rotationally Aice reposition the latter, after disengagement from a marked carton, for marking contact with the carton next in line on the associated conveyor. The marking wheel carries suitable marking elements on the periphery Ithereof and inking mechanism of the present invention is provided for supplying ink to the marking elements. The inking mechanism includes an ink supplying arrangement which responds to the rotation of the marking Wheel and acts to interrupt the supplying of ink when the marking wheel is rotationally at rest.

In order that the present invention may be clearly understood, an illustrative embodiment thereof is hereinafter described in detail and shown in the accompanying drawing forming part hereof and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a marking device embodying the inking mechanism of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken substantially along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View showing certain details of the structure illustrated in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a marking deviceembodying the present invention is there illustrated and generally identied by the reference numeral 10. The marking device is shown in association with a package conveying apparatus, which is fully illustrated and described in our aforesaid Patent No. 2,834,285, hencel only so much of said apparatus will hereinafter be described as is necessary for a clear understanding of the operation of the marking device of present invention.

The marking device 10 is constructed and arranged to.

mark a surface of each of the successive rectangular articles A as the latter are moved in spaced apart relationship along a rectilinear path past the marking device in the direction indicated by the arrows 12. Such movement of the articles A can be produced by any suitable conveyor (not shown), and, lin the vicinity of the marking device, a guide rail 14 is provided along-side the conveyor path to slidably engage a side surface of each article as it moves past the device 10 and thereby to prevent lateral movement of the article in the direction away from the marking device.

T he marking device `10 includes a vertical support post 16 (Fig. 1) which is mounted at either of its ends in a suitable base 18 secured adjacent the path of travel of the articles at the side remote from the guide rail 14.

An arm 20 is formed with a semi-cylindrical sleeve portion 22 at one end which cooperates with a separate semi-cylindrical sleeve 24 bolted thereto to dene a split clamp embracing the post 16 and securing the arm 20 in any desired angularly and vertically adjusted position on the vertical support post.

The end of the arm 20 remote from vertical support 16 is formed with a boss (not shown) which has a bolt 44 tapped therein and extending upwardly to provide an axle or shaft for rotatably carrying a marking unit which is generally meral 46.

The marking unit `46 includes a frame 48 one end of which is rotatably mounted on the axle 44. The marking unit 46 is intended to rotate as a whole about the n axle 44 in the counter-clockwise direction as viewedv in Fig. 1. A marking wheel 56 is rotatably mounted on identified by the reference nu-V is arranged to carry marking elements, such as, type, on the periphery thereof. The marking unit 46 also includes an inking assembly, generally identified by the reference numeral 70, which is carried by the frame 48 and shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. The inking assembly 70 includes an arm 72 pivoted adjacent one end on an axle 74 extending upwardly from a support block 76 on the frame 48. A torsion spring 78 is disposed around the axle 74 and is connected at its opposite ends to an abutment 80, secured on the axle, and to the arm 72 to urge the latter in the direction moving its free end toward the periphery of the adjacent marking wheel 56. Such movement of the arm 72 is limited by an adjustable stop screw 82 (Fig. l) extending through a lug 84 on the support block 75 and engageable with an extension 86 on the arm 72,

A bolt 88 extends downwardly from the arm 72 adjacent the free end of the latter and provides an axle rotatably supporting an inking roll, generally identied by the reference numeral 90, below the arm 72. The inking roll 90 includes a core 92 of' metal rotatable on the axle 88 and formed with an upwardly opening an nular chamber 94 -for receiving ink from a suitable source in the manner hereinafter described in detail. A porous, for example, felt, layer 96 extends around the core 92 to absorb ink passing from the chamber 94 through suitable radial passages 97 (Fig. 2), which are preferably disposed approximately one-third of the height of the inking roll from the top of the latter, and to transfer the absorbed ink to the marking elements on the periphery of the wheel 56 with which it is in rolling contact.

When the marking wheel is disposed in the path of an advancing article it is engaged by the article to elTect rolling and marking contact with the surface of the article, and the inking roll which responds to the rotation of the marking wheel will be rotated thereby.

In order to supply ink to the chamber 94 Within the inking roll 90, a stepped vertical bore 98 is formed in the arm 72 in vertical alignment with the chamber 94. The supply of ink is held in a container or reservoir 100, of which at least a portion is formed of transparent material to permit observation of the level of the ink therein, and the reservoir opens downwardly into a tubular neck 102 secured thereto. The reservoir 100 is removably installed on the arm 72 merely by inserting the tubular neck 102 into the relatively large diameter upper portion of the stepped bore 98. In order to control the flow of ink through the neck 102 and the bore 98 into the chamber 94, a valve rod 104 is longitudinally slidable within the tubular neck 102 and pro jects downwardly from the latter to ride upon a cam plate 106 secured in the bottom of the annular chamber 94. Thus, as the inking roll 90 is rotated, the cam plate 106 causes vertical reciprocation of the rod 104. The rod 104 is of generally cylindrical configuration and fits closely within the internal bore of the tubular neck 102, with a flattened portion 108 being formed on one side of the rod 104 extending vfrom the lower end of the latter to a point which is disposed within the neck 102, when the rod 104 is in a lowered position, and which moves above the top of the tubular neck, when the rod is elevated by the cam action. Thus, as the rod 104 is vertically reciprocated, the passage defined between the flattened portion 108 of the rod and the internal surface of the neck 102 is intermittently placed into communication with the reservoir 100 to permit the flow therethrough of a metered quantity of ink.

When the operation of the marking device is halted for an appreciable length of time, the reservoir 100 can be easily removed from the arm 72 and the rod 104 is gravitationally lowered to prevent any leakage of ink from the reservoir. In order to maintain the rod 104 in assembly with the reservoir, an enlarged head 110 is preferably formed upon the upper end of the rod and seats upon the upper end of the neck 102 when thereservoir is removed from the arm 72, to effect a seal.

While a'prefe-rred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in the drawing and described in detail herein, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to that precise embodiment, and that various changes and modications may be made therein without departing from lthe scope and `spirit of the invention as dened in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a marking device having a marking wheel for rolling and marking contact with successive articles; inking mechanism for applying ink to the periphery of the marking wheel comprising a support arm, an inking roller rotatably mounted below said arm in rolling contact with the marking wheel, said rolier including a core having an upwardly opening, annular ink receiving chamber therein and radial passages opening outwardly from said chamber, and an absorbant pad on said core to receive ink from said chamber through said radial passages, said support arm having a vertical bore therethrough in registry with said annular chamber of the roller core, an ink reservoir having a discharge neck at one end receivable in said vertical bore to removably mount said reservoir on said support armand to discharge ink into said chamber, reciprocatable valve means in said discharge neck operative to permit the intermittent discharge of ink during reciprocation of the valve means, and cam means on said roller and rotatable with the latter to reciprocate said valve means during rotation of the inking roller.

2. In a marking device; inking mechanism according to claim l; wherein said discharge neck has ya cylindrical lbore therethrough and opening at its upper end' into said reservoir, and said valve means includes a substantially cylindricaly rod fitting closely` and reciprocally in said cylindrical bore and extending below said neck into said annular'chamber7 said rod having a flattened side portion terminating below the upper end of the rod; and wherein sai-d cam means includes a cam plate seated on the -bottom of said annular chamber andvarying in height in the `direction of rotation of said roller, the -lower end of said red riding of said cam plate and the variations in the height of the latter being sufficient to reciprocate said rod through a stroke moving the top of said attened portion of the rod above and below said upper end of the cylindrical bore so that link is intermittently admitted from said reservoirinto the space defined between said flattened portion and the surface of said cylindrical bore.

3. In a marking device having a marking wheel for rolling and marking contact with successive articles; inking mechanism for applying ink to the periphery of the marking wheel comprising a pivotally mounted support arm, an inking roller rotatably mounted below said arm,

means biasing said arm in the direction to fbring said inking roller into rolling contact with the marking wheel, said inking roller including a core having an upwardly opening, annular ink receiving chamber therein, an absorbent pad on the periphery of said core, said core having communicating means between said chamber and pad `for the passage of ink from the chamber to the pad, said support arm having a vertical bore therethrough in registry with said annular chamber of the roller core, an ink reservoir having a discharge neck at one end receivable in said vertical bore to removably mount said reservoir on said support arm and to discharge ink into said chamber, reciprocatable valve means in said discharge neck operative to permit the intermittent discharge of ink during reciprocation of the valve means, and cam means on said roller and rotatable with the latter to reciprocate said valve means during rotation of the inking roller.

4. In a marking device; inking mechanism according to claim 3; wherein said discharge neck has a cylindrical bore therethrough and opening at its upper end into said reservoir, and said valve means includes a substantially cylindrical rod iitting closely and reciprocally in said cylindrical bore and extending Ibelow said neck into said annular chamber, said rod having a flattened side portion terminating below the upper end of the rod; and wherein said cam means includes a cam plate seated on the bottom of said annular chamber and varying in height in the direction of rotation of said rol-1er, the lower end of said rod riding of said cam plate and the variations in the height of the latter being sufficient to reciprocate said rod 10 through a stroke moving the top of said attened portion of the rod above and below said upper end of the cylindrical bore so that ink is intermittently admitted from said reservoir into the space dened between said attened portion and the surface of said cylindrical bore; and wherein said rod is provided with an enlarged portion at its upper end to provide a seal `for the reservoir when the latter is removed.

No references cited. 

